Automatic steam-trap



Patented .1am-24, 1899. J. H. BLEssms. f

lAUTOMATIG'STEMII TRAP.

(Application filed Aug. 20, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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JAMES H. BLESSING, OF ALBANY, NEV YORK.

AUTOMATIC STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,263, dated January24, 1899.

Application led August 20,1898. Serial No. 689,110. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, .Linus H. BLnssiNc, of Albany, in the county ofAlbany and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of steam-traps thatare used for automatically returning the water of condensation to thesteam-generator from the steampipes or other connected parts in whichsuch condensation will occur; and the objects of my invention are tosimplify the construction of the apparatus, render its operation morepositive and eitective, and to reduce the cost of manufacture. Theseobjects'I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, which are herein referred to and form part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure l is a central vertical section ofmy improved steam-trap connected to the feedwater pipe of asteam-boiler, only a small portion of the latter being shown; Fig. 2, acentral vertical section of said steam-trap, taken at right angles -toFig. l; and Fig. 3, a plan view of said steam-trap.

As represented in the drawings, A designates the outer casing of myimproved steamtrap, which is usually made of cast metal and consists ofa vessel of approximately cylindrical form and provided with a closebottom; B, a removable bonnet which forms a closure for the upper end ofthe casing A and is secured to a circumferential ange formed around theupper end of said casing by screwbolts, as shown in Fig. 3; C, anopen-topA bucket which is inclosed in and arranged to tilt within thecasing A. Said bucket is attached by means of a hinge-joint l to saidcasing in such manner that it will be free to acquire tilting movementswhen occasion requires. Channeled guides 3 are arranged within saidbucket, so as to be practically at right angles to the center-line ofthe pivot of the hinge-joint l, and in said guides sphericalcounterweights D are fitted to roll to complete a tilting movement ofthe bucket C by gravitating toward the depressed ends of the guides 3,the initial tilting movement of the bucket C in either its rising orfalling phase being effected by the fluctuations of the level of thewater contained in casing A. Guardbars 4 are arranged directly over theguides 3 for the purpose of preventing the counterweights D becomingdisplaced from their proper positions.

A valve-operating rod E is connected by a joint 2 to the bucket C, andthe upper end of said rod is fitted to move loosely in a chambered guideN, secured to the bonnet B, the chamber of said guide allowing the upperend of the rod E to swing slightly to correspond to the swayingmovements of said rod. The operating-rod E is provided with tappets 5,which project laterally therefrom and are adapted to take against theinner end of a valve-lever F and impart required oscillations to thelatter. The tappets 5 should be spaced sufficiently apart to aord adegree of lost motion between them and the correspond- :ing end of thevalve-lever F, the movements of the latter only being effected when thebucket C has completed a prescribed portion of its rising and fallingmovements. The bonnet B is provided with a chamber l2, which is formedin its under side and in which the inner end of the valve-lever F isfree to move in a vertical plane.

G is a valve that is fitted to close upon a valve-seat 7, formed in avalve-casing H, secured to the bonnet B. The valve-lever F is pivoted,as at 6, to said valve-casing in such manner that said lever canoscillate in a vertical plane. The outer end ofthe valve-lever F isbifurcated to span the stem of the valve Gr in the usual manner.

I is an inlet water-pipe through which the water of condensation isconveyed into the steam-trap. Said inlet-pipe is provided with acheck-valve J, by .Which communication between the steam-trap and thesystem of steampipes will be controlled at proper times and in propermanner. The inlet water-pipe I communicates with an inlet-port S,through which the inflowingwater will be discharged directly into thespace between the inner side of the casingAandouter side of the bucketB.

K is an outlet water-pipe through which the outi'lowing water will beconducted from the steam-trap into the steam-boiler, and to preventabackiiow of water from the boiler into the steam-trap the pipe K isprovided with a check-valve'L, of the usual form of such devices. Theoutlet water-pipe K is connected to the bonnet B and communicates with aSiphon-pipe l1, which extends downwardly into the bucket C and reachesnearly to the bottom of the inside of the latter, so

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that when the steam -pressure is admitted into the steam-trap the watercontained in said bucket will be forced to flow upwardly through saidSiphon-pipe and thence through the pipe K :into the steam-boiler. Asteampipe M forms a connection between the steamboiler and valve-casingH for the purpose of supplying the steam-trap with the steam required tooperate the steam-trap. Manuallyoperated air-valves 9 and l0 areinserted in the bonnet B to afford egress for any air that may becontained in the steam-trap before the latter is in condition to operateautomatically. The first-named air-valve communi- Cates directly withthe interior of the casing A and the other communicates with thesiphon-pipe ll and outlet water-pipe K, and by the combined action ofthe two air-valves all the air contained in the steam-trap may bedischarged to allow the steam-trap to perform its functions properly.

It should be understood that the steam-pipe M is provided with astop-valve for preventing an inflow of steam into the steam-trap andthat as a preliminary to starting the automatic operation of the trapsaid stop-valve must be closed and the air-valves 9 and 10 opened.Thereby the steam from the boiler will be prevented from entering thetrap and the water of condensation from a system of steam-pipes will bepermitted to iiow into the trap and expel the air from the latter.

During the time the stop-valve in the steampipe M remains closed theair-valves 9 and IO should be open, and the parts of the steamtrap willbe in the positions shown by the full lines in Fig. l. The Water ofcondensation contained in the system of pipes will be impelled by thepressure of steam in said system to pass through the pipe I, check-valveJ, and inlet-port Sinto the space between the inner side of the casingAand outerside of the bucket C. In filling said space the dotation of thewater by acting on the outer side of the bucket will cause the latter tobe tilted upward, and when the level of the water has nearly attained tothe upper edge of the bucket the angular position of the channeledguides will cause the weights D to roll to the opposite side of thebucket C into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l. A suddenimpulse will thus be imparted to the upward tilting movement of thebucket C, and thereby the lower tappet 5 will be moved to take againstthe valve-lever F and cause the valve G to positively close the openingin the valveseat 7. The stop-valve in the steam-pipe IWI should now beopened to admit steam from the boiler into the steam-trap and theairvalves 9 and l0 closed. The inflow of the water of condensation,which has been continued during the tilting movement of the bucket C, iskept up, and the water by flowing over the upper edge of said bucketwill fill the bucket until the preponderance of Weight causes the latterto tilt downward into the position shown by full lines in Fig. l, and

in making such downward movement the upper tappet 5 will take againstthe valve-lever F, and thereby the valve G will be raised to admit steamfrom the boiler into the steamtrap, thereby equalizing the pressure inthe latter, so that the Water will then gravitate out of the inner sideof the bucket C, passing through the Siphon-pipe ll into the pipe K andthrough the check-valve L into the steamboiler. When the water has beennearly discharged from the interior of the bucket to within a shortdistance from the bottom of the latter, the bucket will begin to tiltupward, the movement being caused by the floating power of the watercontained between the bucket and the casing, and when said bucket istilted sufficiently the weights will shift to the side of the bucketthat is adjacent to the hinge-joint l, thereby producing a suddenimpulse in the tilting movement just referred to and again closing thevalve G upon its seat, and lthis operation will be continuedautomatically as long as the water and steam are admitted into thesteam-trap in the manner described.

B y arranging the shiftable counterweights D within the tilting bucketC, I am enabled to simplify the construction and reduce the cost of mysteam-trap, increase the eciency of its operation, avoid the liabilityof derangement due to friction of pivots projecting throughstufling-boxes to the outer side of the casing, and prevent theaccidental or intentional derangement of the parts that would destroythe proper action of the apparatus.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent,- isl. In a steam-trap, thecombination of a Yclose casing provided with an inlet steam-pipe andpipes for the admission and emission of water into and out of said trap,a tiltable bucket within said casing and having transverse guides insaid bucket, a steam-valve operated by said bucket, counterweightsfitted to move on said guides and adapted to shift their positionsautomatically to correspond to each change of the angularity of saidguides, and means for preventing the displacement of saidcounterweights, as specified.

2. In a steam-trap, the combination of a close casing, a tiltable bucketlocated Within and hinged to said casing, guides secured transversely insaid bucket, automaticallyshiftable counterweights adapted to move onsaid guides, a valve for controlling the steam admission, a valve-leverextending into said casing, a valve-operating rod attached to saidbucket and provided with tappets that take against and impart motion tosaid valvelever, as and for the purpose specified.

JAMES H. BLESSING.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. WnEnLocK, THOMAS F. RYAN.

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